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The Irish Sun
09-07-2025
- The Irish Sun
Our greatest export has always been our people – Irish abroad can play valuable role in nation's future & global links
IRELAND this week launched an online consultation for the Irish diaspora: The Global Irish Survey. Minister of State for International Development and Diaspora, Neale Richmond, made the announcement on a visit to 2 Minister Neale Richmond said the Irish abroad can play a huge role in the nation's future on the global stage Credit: Getty 2 Minister Richmond has said he wants to hear from Irish expats around the world Credit: PA The survey is the latest in a series of consultations he is having with Irish communities around the world as part of the To date, he has met with representatives of the Irish community in Nairobi, In the weeks and months ahead, he will host sessions in the Writing in the Irish Sun today, Minister Richmond says he has heard first hand from many remarkable members of our diaspora on the challenges and opportunities of being Irish overseas. READ MORE IN IRISH NEWS IRELAND has come a long way since some of the darkest days in our Emigration has always been a constant for the people of this country. Indeed, the Great Hunger and various periods of our past, where poverty and unemployment were extremely high, were times of significant migration from our island. Many of the people who left these shores in the 1980s, for example, would barely recognise the country which they left all those years ago. Most read in The Irish Sun There isn't a family anywhere in Ireland that doesn't have a relation abroad, be it the uncle in The experience of many Irish people who left these shores has been mixed. Victoria Smurfit leads Dublin's St Patrick's Day parade Plenty of the Irish diaspora have made incredibly successful careers and livelihoods for themselves all across the world — the Irish American story is one significant pillar of the fabled 'American Dream' — but equally the Irish have also experienced significant discrimination. One need only think of the 'No Blacks, No Dogs, No Irish' signs which were commonplace in London in the 1950s. The story of the Irish abroad is one of opportunity and hard work. Our greatest export has always been our people. GREATEST EXPORT They have always enriched the different places which they call their new home, despite the reasons for leaving. But who or what is the Irish diaspora in 2025? How do we define that; and do we have a catch all representation of this diaspora? In line with commitments in the Programme for Government, work is underway on preparing the development of the next Diaspora Strategy. Central to this is a series of consultations, which I am in the process of conducting, with diaspora communities and key stakeholders overseas and in Ireland. Since my appointment as Minister with responsibility for the Diaspora, this process of con-sultation has taken me to Brussels, Nairobi, Boston, Philadelphia, Glasgow, and Manchester. INCLUSIVE APPROACH In the weeks and months ahead, I will host sessions in the Middle East, across the US and Canada and at home to name but a few. This week, I launched the first ever global online consultation of the Irish Diaspora - the Irish Abroad: The Global Irish Survey. This survey will build on the in-person consultations and ensure we hear from as many voices as possible in order to reflect the diversity and values of our contemporary diaspora. The findings of the survey will feed into our consideration of the new strategy. LISTENING EAR It will also form the baseline for future surveys with the intention to roll others out on a regular basis, and to build up a picture over time of interests and issues that Irish communities overseas feel are important. The world, Ireland and immigration has changed since our last strategy was launched in 2020. To understand the issues affecting both long-standing emigrants and newer arrivals, I am keen to hear from a range of voices and experiences in order to ensure the new strategy meets the needs of global Irish communities and can adapt to evolving circumstances. As I'm finding out as I meet people all over the world, 'Ireland' and 'the Irish' are terms that mean a lot of different things to different sections of our diaspora. It is important that we continue to take a broad and inclusive definition of our diaspora that reflects our modern and diverse Ireland. REAL WORLD BENEFIT We are a community that encompasses Irish born citizens; and those with parents or grandparents born on the island; others with ancestral ties, as well as an affinity diaspora who may have once lived, studied or worked here; and those who hold a deep appreciation for our people and culture. Getting to hear the views of Ireland's diaspora has allowed me to delve into and reflect on some of the key issues facing our diaspora, but also some of the opportunities that the Irish abroad community presents for us as a nation. Our new diaspora strategy is not just about staying in touch with our Irish abroad, but provides very real benefits during these uncertain economic times. Our diaspora and affinity diaspora who live in the US provide us with very real and tangible benefits through their connections to state legislators and the business community. These relationships, in the US and elsewhere, are crucial to copper-fastening our current trading relationships, but also in forging new ones. FUTURE ROLE During my most recent trip to the US, I launched the Ireland-Massachusetts Trade Forum. This forum consists of Massachusetts state legislators, business leaders, educators and academics. These people, with their profound connections to Ireland, provide us with the expertise and links to opportunities. As the world becomes an ever more uncertain place, our Irish abroad can play a growing role. We need a truly representative diaspora strategy. To achieve this, we need to hear from you.
The Irish Sun
14-05-2025
- Politics
- The Irish Sun
Ireland's forgotten ‘Hell on Earth' Alcatraz WON'T reopen despite Trump's US slammer plot for ‘most ruthless offenders'
A CORK politician has ruled out Ireland's Alcatraz reopening as a prison following Donald Trump's bid to revive the iconic US tourist attraction. Last week, the Advertisement 4 Spike Island in Cork was once the world's largest jail housing over 2,300 inmates during the famine Credit: Alamy 4 Cork Lord Mayor Councillor Kieran McCarthy said it will not reopen He said the country's 'most ruthless and violent offenders' will be housed in the long-shuttered slammer just off San Francisco, Spike Island in Known as 'Hell on Earth', like Alcatraz, it has become an award-winning attraction. Local historian and Cork Lord Mayor Councillor Kieran McCarthy said there was no chance the Irish Advertisement READ MORE IN IRISH NEWS He said millions have been poured into transforming the island and Fort Mitchel into a place visited by thousands of visitors annually. He told the Irish Sun: 'Spike Island is part of a historical trail in Cork Harbour which also includes Fort Camden and Fort Meagher. 'It has been closed as a prison for decades and it now plays an important part in the He also says he does not believe Advertisement Most read in the Irish Sun Exclusive Latest Cllr McCarthy thinks it is an impossible ask, as Alcatraz had been crumbling before it was decommissioned and is now a He said: 'My gut is that this is a political plot by the President aimed at getting at the Democratic Governor of California, Gavin Newsom, who has been somewhat of a thorn in his side. 'STIRRING THE POT' 'San Francisco is twinned with Cork City and there are good relationships between the two cities. 'I do think Trump is stirring the pot. His plan would cost more than millions and it is something people wouldn't want for the Rock.' Advertisement Spike Island is famously known as Ireland's Alcatraz. It was the first of four An enormous fortress arrived in 1804, its 24-acre footprint so large it could fit Built to defend an empire and repel an all-conquering Napoleon, it was the fort's conversion to a prison in 1847 that drew the eyes of the world and fostered its dark reputation. Advertisement CONDITIONS DETERIORATING The explosion in crime during the Great Hunger led the prison population to swell to more than 2,300, making it the largest formal prison yet seen in Ireland or With such severe overcrowding, conditions quickly deteriorated. More than 1,000 convicts died in the first seven years of operation, each now buried in an unmarked mass grave to the island's east in a forgotten penal tragedy. No women were held on the island but men and boys as young as 12. Advertisement An especially converted 'children's prison' held up to 100 boys in a former ammunition storehouse, the youngsters sleeping in hammocks suspended from chains in the roof. It reopened in 1921, holding more than 1,200 republican prisoners as the Irish War of Independence raged. NOTORIOUS INMATE The A final prison operated from 1985 to 2004, cementing the island's legendary status in the penal system. Advertisement Its most notorious inmate was Martin 'The General' Cahill, who was sent out of harm's way when serving time for breaching the peace. Cork County Council became the owners and, along with tourism interests, developed it into a modern tourism facility with a 100 seater cafe, two gift shops, and interactive units which allow visitors to go back in time and explore the long history of the island. 4 Donald Trump plans to reopen Alcatraz Credit: AP:Associated Press 4 Martin 'The General' Cahill was an inmate in the jail Credit: Getty Images - Getty Advertisement
The Journal
25-04-2025
- General
- The Journal
Rare 200-year-old mud house in Co Clare to be removed for 'road safety' reasons, angering locals
A RARE MUD house that has stood in Co Clare for almost 200 years is set to be removed in order to facilitate improvements to a nearby road, according to Clare County Council. Citing 'road safety' reasons, the Council said that the house in Tullaroe, near Querrin, is being surveyed ahead of planned deconstruction. The news has been met with dismay by some locals, who have shared their frustration on the Council's Facebook page. The mud and stone house is one of the last of its kind in Ireland and was inhabited from 1827 until its former owner Johnnie McNamara died in 1981 at the age of 95. In a post on its website , the Council said that in 1901 the house was home to 11 people. The Council's announcement quoted historian Paddy Waldron, who said: 'I have brought many tour groups here over the years, including a large international group during the 2013 National Famine Commemoration.' Advertisement 'Many participants were intrigued to see before their own eyes how the many mud houses left abandoned at the end of the Great Hunger had sunk back into the landscape, leaving no trace,' he said. Archaeologist Dave Pollock said, 'We do not know of many of these mud houses still standing, but there could be a handful still lived in that look like the stone cottage next door.' Under the Facebook post announcing the deconstruction of the house, local residents expressed frustration at the move, with many asking why the road could not be built around it. 'Sick of the destruction of our history,' one commenter said. 'Why is this not a protected structure?' asked another. An 'evening of reminiscing' has been organised and will take place on Thursday, 8 May at 8pm at Myles Creek, O'Curry Street, Kilkee. The Council said: 'All are welcome, but anyone with memories of the McNamara family is especially encouraged to attend.' Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Washington Post
03-03-2025
- Climate
- Washington Post
Can we invent ourselves out of climate change? Ben Franklin thought so.
Joyce E. Chaplin is the James Duncan Phillips professor of early American history at Harvard University and author of the forthcoming book 'The Franklin Stove: An Unintended American Revolution,' from which this piece is adapted. The winter of 1740-1741 was miserable. Boston Harbor froze over. So did the Venice Lagoon. Crops died and famine reigned. Up to a fifth of Ireland's population might have died, a greater toll than for the 19th-century famine called the Great Hunger.
